Biden invites children on stage during Diwali celebrations; calls them 'impression of light'

PTI

Washington, October 25

In what came as a highlight of this year’s Diwali celebrations at the White House, President Joe Biden invited two children onto the stage and described them as “his impression of light”.

The White House later said they Soren and Zara, children of Congressman Ro Khanna, who attended the impressive Diwali event along with some 200 eminent members of the community from across the country.

“And before I begin, how are you guys doing out front there? How are you? You want to come up here? You wanna come up? You don’t have to, but you can,” Biden said amidst applause from the audience who were surprised by the president’s outreach to Soren and Zara.

“Can you walk them around?” he asked one of his aides to bring them on to the stage as the guests applauded. “This is my impression of light,” Biden said.

“Now, if you guys get bored, you can go back. It’s not gonna take very long, okay? All right?” he told Soren and Zara that the event would conclude soon.

Khanna told PTI after the reception, “It was an incredible honour for the president to call them up and have them on the stage for 25 minutes at the first major Diwali festival and celebrations at the White House.”

In a tweet later, Khanna said he and his wife Ritu were touched as the President “invited our children to join him on stage during” the celebration.

“It’s a testament to this President’s belief in the future. The President was right. I did marry up and the kids are our light,” he said.

Some of the guests were heard saying that it was the best moment of the reception.